# Does AMBIEN have weird effects? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 5, 2006, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-have-weird-effects/355580 "2006-05-05T18:50:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-have-weird-effects/355580/1 "2006-05-05T18:50:40Z")
The thread about rep. kennedy is making me wonder-is AMBIEN all that safe a drug? i understand it works very well at putting you to sleep-but does continual use cause problems? Anybody use it? Does is provide a restful, natural sleep? or do you wake up feeling tired 9as most sleeping pills seem to do). What’s so special about it-is it (AMBIEN) a totally new drug? ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-have-weird-effects/355580/2 "2006-05-05T18:58:18Z")
[Study Links Ambien Use to Unconscious Food Forays](http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/14/health/14sleep.html?ex=1299992400&en=3e748dbfb153922c&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss) Here’s the Fox News version: [Ambien Linked to ‘Sleep Eating’](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,188040,00.html) ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-have-weird-effects/355580/3 "2006-05-05T19:01:14Z")
I took Ambien briefly. I found that I needed to take it the very last thing I did before walking into the bedroom and lying down. It knocked me out instantly. As far as consciousness goes, it was as if the hours until it let me wake up were simply gone as if I had been under general anaesthesia. Oddly, at the same time, I recalled having very bizarre dreams. I know, that makes no sense, but that’s what it felt like. It was a bit unnerving. My doctor advised that I should not take the stuff unless I had time to spend sleeping. Having experienced the effects of it, there is no way I would have taken one and then decided to drive. I would have been unable to decide anything! That anecdote related, my daughter took some one time, and found its effect to be absolutely nothing. Not even sleeping. So it’s a big YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-have-weird-effects/355580/4 "2006-05-05T19:06:00Z")
Well, first off, re: Kennedy, the guy was not only taking Ambien but also Phenergan. Either one of them by itself is sufficient to put you in a condition where you should not think of operating a car or heavy machinery. Whatever possessed him to think he could take them in tandem and then drive off – ?? Ambien, meanwhile — dunno about long term probs from continual use (I don’t use it that way, just on rare / as needed basis); but between the time you take it and the time you’re unconscious, you can drift through some really weird cognitive states, including visual hallucinations, twilight zombie-level of responsiveness in response to questions, and, uh, well… :o One evening I took an Ambien and decided to browse a message board while waiting for it to kick in. Next day found out that I’d posted a totally incomprehensible New Thread. 'Twas on another board, so rather than link, I’ll just repost it here: Title that I Used: **Breathings, and dleaorations of a delf** > [@](#): > > I have encountered… awarenesses , collectionsof tingling, distractionary thints. Distractintg folks frfom the 'Truo Eone;to tthe True One , singing AI am primordial in the lgiht of campfires and fresh roasts of clams and the smell of seafood i the eair.l T0 care for such, the joyu, the cderemony, the belongingness. the knitweave . > > Wikthinderinidhin within these trends strands ends, to undersstand and say it is over. Light another sconce and sing aing again gaining, anwew. We nod not our heads, gbut with poud heads gtendle nots sods to share mutual gtries, ack, yes you to, acknowledgment, the nods. > and if you can nod yhou dan dance. Bivalves in the flames sand on teh geach, weeds, mosses, acrid smells, dprovoking the happy clam smell. > > So much of goodbye is in cry for what must have geen, might have bgeen. the lost futures. > The gaps. the hard dounr aaromsitid===c smdells emells, of y9u, of you, of me and hyou. > > It’s a good party on gehavof on behalf ein ebejelf that that thath She Were. And we ring and sing and holdl thintgs that were Of Her., respectfully, our putingt us putrtin her down, and when it gets dark it is orr. > > Mosern klworld. You divicin. Mayhgbe he still likes the children. M\ > A starting point. Wioth the esx, perhaps a solemnly respectful, waeave it as we skeeve it, but mutually respecting each others parent stuff ub isolation Oh you who are not good for me but with them, hey, you 're all right… CoParenting committedd bond. For the kids, and for the parents. > > And as we turn badk from the elevators we wonder what’s levgt what’s left, what is heterosexuality apartn from childbirthing. Still a world of learning periods and flowes. and times of do not touch me, … > > What’s the recipe? To immersie each other in purple, fun live music, get lured ito dancing. I think the weirdness speaks for itself. ---
**Author:** ![Figaro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ea666f/32.png) [@Figaro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Figaro)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-have-weird-effects/355580/5 "2006-05-05T19:27:56Z")
LMAO, Hunter! Ambien gave me waking hallucinations - advertisements in magazines “coming to life” and talking to me, and things of that nature. The odd thing was, I _knew_ I was hallucinating at the time and was even able to remark to my gf about how incredibly odd it was. It also affected me so profoundly physically that I sometimes couldn’t get myself to bed and just collapsed wherever I was a few minutes after taking it. My advice: think very carefully before taking the stuff, and be prepared for wierd side effects if you do. ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-have-weird-effects/355580/6 "2006-05-05T19:28:17Z")
I have 2 friends that take Ambien. When they take it but don’t fall asleep…man they are weird. Nonsensical and plain ol weird. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-have-weird-effects/355580/7 "2006-05-05T19:35:53Z")
Shoehorn Butterhorse. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-have-weird-effects/355580/8 "2006-05-05T19:50:42Z")
I started taking it when it was still very new. I was on ritalin at the time and since they thought that it was non habit forming (do they still?) by shrink prescribed it to me to help me get to sleep after being wired all day. I was 13 or 14 at the time (10 years ago). I slept really well on it, just like my normal sleep, but I would sleep al the way through the night (something I have always had trouble with. I had to get a full 8 hours of sleep, however, or I COULD NOT wake up. Once the 8th hour rolled around, I was up and rested. It would generally take about a half hour to put me out, but I did notice that I could get fairly tripped out if I forced myself to stay awake, mild hallucinations were not uncommon. The thing I remember most was this cool feeling like I was floating. Eventually I would start to feel sick if I didn’t go to sleep, so I never really seriously experimented with it as a recreational drug. I stopped taking it because I started to notice that I couldn’t sleep at all if I didn’t. I have always had a strong fear of addiction, so I stopped, had a few sleepless nights, and eventually went back to my normal sleep patterns. But I had taken Ambien regularly every night for almost a year at that point. At the time it was very new and I suppose they felt that it was fine to prescribe the drug that way. I don’t think it is ever given as a “take 2 before bedtime” pill anymore, but rather always as a “take it if you need it” pill. So my experiences may differ a little from people who are using it now. ---
**Author:** ![Translucent\_Daydream](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/translucent_daydream/32/16170_2.png) [@Translucent\_Daydream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Translucent_Daydream)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-have-weird-effects/355580/9 "2006-05-05T20:38:33Z")
One time I was pescribed 5 to take if I ever needed them. Let me tell you what. I took this pill, and fell asleep. And then woke up, sort of. I looked up and at the end of the bed was an ironing board sitting there. I thought that it was my concert stage. I grabbed my cell phone to call a cab to get me there and I thought that it was melting. I got up (somehow) and woke up my roommate and told him that the Beatles were waiting on me. He had to sleep in the floor of my room to keep me from wondering off. I am so lucky that he was around because I could have DRIVEN OFF looking for the BEATLES. ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-have-weird-effects/355580/10 "2006-05-05T20:50:09Z")
Hmm, sound like under the right circumstances Ambien makes you trip. If I wasn’t so attached to my sleeping schedule I’d give it a whirl. ---
**Author:** ![kaiwik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaiwik/32/3978_2.png) [@kaiwik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaiwik)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-have-weird-effects/355580/11 "2006-05-05T21:06:00Z")
I took a short course of Ambien when it first came out, and I slept fine. I was also taking a lot of pain medication, so I don’t remember any side effects. My doctor had a couple of back surgeries in the recent past, and the last time I saw him he told me that he was definetly addicted to Ambien by the time his doctor took him off of it, and he said that the withdrawl symptoms were terrible, and that he would never prescribe it for anyone ever again. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2006, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-have-weird-effects/355580/12 "2006-05-05T21:08:24Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > I started taking it when it was still very new. I was on ritalin at the time and since they thought that it was non habit forming (do they still?) by shrink prescribed it to me to help me get to sleep after being wired all day. I was 13 or 14 at the time (10 years ago). > > I slept really well on it, just like my normal sleep, but I would sleep al the way through the night (something I have always had trouble with. I had to get a full 8 hours of sleep, however, or I COULD NOT wake up. Once the 8th hour rolled around, I was up and rested. It would generally take about a half hour to put me out, but I did notice that I could get fairly tripped out if I forced myself to stay awake, mild hallucinations were not uncommon. The thing I remember most was this cool feeling like I was floating. Eventually I would start to feel sick if I didn’t go to sleep, so I never really seriously experimented with it as a recreational drug. > > I stopped taking it because I started to notice that I couldn’t sleep at all if I didn’t. I have always had a strong fear of addiction, so I stopped, had a few sleepless nights, and eventually went back to my normal sleep patterns. But I had taken Ambien regularly every night for almost a year at that point. At the time it was very new and I suppose they felt that it was fine to prescribe the drug that way. I don’t think it is ever given as a “take 2 before bedtime” pill anymore, but rather always as a “take it if you need it” pill. So my experiences may differ a little from people who are using it now. NAF- this is eerily similar to my experiences with it, which were also about 10 years ago (I was in my late 20’s then). One day I got a phone call from my then-girlfriend asking if I was OK- she was evidently pretty freaked out from a phone call she had with me the night before, which I didn’t remember at all. She said it started out normal enough, but I soon started saying some very weird things and eventually made no sense. I suspect I started talking like Hunter’s post upthread. At that point I decided not to take the full 10mg pill anymore, and started chopping them in half. It still did the trick and as far as I know it didn’t make me wacky like the full dose did. ---
**Author:** ![Capa84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8edcca/32.png) [@Capa84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capa84)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-have-weird-effects/355580/13 "2006-05-06T01:22:59Z")
I have taken it now and then, my gf was prescribed it to help her sleep after breaking her ankle. It usually gives me a “hangover” headache the next day. I also took it one night after drinking a couple of beers, and I saw some funny hallucinations…like a little old lady was sitting on top of my bedroom dresser watching TV. Definately odd stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-have-weird-effects/355580/14 "2006-05-06T02:01:47Z")
**AHunter3** , having read that, perhaps we now have an explanation for the Time Cube guy? ---
**Author:** ![Ring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Ring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ring)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-have-weird-effects/355580/15 "2006-05-06T03:20:46Z")
I’ve taken Ambien every night for over a year. Usually it puts me to sleep, but sometimes it doesn’t. I’ve never noticed even the slightest effect other than sleepiness. ---
**Author:** ![username\_taken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/c0e974/32.png) [@username\_taken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/username_taken)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-have-weird-effects/355580/16 "2006-05-06T03:42:53Z")
I read a few months back that some people have driven while on it and had no recollection of doing so, and others who’d wake up the next morning and find empty bottles of alcohol, also not recalling doing so (sorry, no cite), as well as the eating that Squink cited. It’s scary to think. I hope further testing and investigation is done concerning this. ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-have-weird-effects/355580/17 "2006-05-06T04:13:18Z")
My stepfather takes it, and several times he has written me e-mails that were not unlike **AHunter3** ’s thread - just complete nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![Ring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Ring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ring)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-have-weird-effects/355580/18 "2006-05-06T04:25:03Z")
> [@Ring](#): > > I’ve taken Ambien every night for over a year. Usually it puts me to sleep, but sometimes it doesn’t. I’ve never noticed even the slightest effect other than sleepiness. Also on nights when it hasn’t worked I’ve taken an additional pill, got up the next morning, gone to work and given a speech to 700 people with no problem whatsoever. It’s the greatest thing since _Carter’s Little Liver Pills._ ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Rogers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@Buck\_Rogers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Rogers)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-have-weird-effects/355580/19 "2006-05-06T04:34:22Z")
I was on ambien for almost a year. I found no side effects or addictive behavior towards it. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs\_O\_Malley\_s\_Cow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Mrs\_O\_Malley\_s\_Cow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs_O_Malley_s_Cow)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-have-weird-effects/355580/20 "2006-05-06T05:48:58Z")
I am taking Ambien. I don’t take it every night to be sure. it makes me sleep. I have never had any problems with odd symptoms with the exception of being slightly hung over in the morning. I also have not had addiction problems with it but I am also one who has taken valium and darvaset (sp?) with no problems either. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-ambien-have-weird-effects/355580.md?page=2)